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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · ground · charge · track · ball · mouse · pit · safe

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. charge — a price
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ground — a position
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. track — to keep track
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. charge — in control
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — a path
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com